Door-operating device



May 1, 1923.

J. E. w. EoGAL DOOR OPERATING DEVICE Filed April 1921 wmf Amma/frsPatented May 1, 1923.

Jon-N E; w. roem., or-QINCY, ILLINoIs.

DOOR-OPERATING DIE/VICE.

Application med April 9, 1921,. ,serial no. 460,044.

- constructions, and arrangements herein de-- scribed and'claimed.

An object of m' invention is to provide a novel and effective device foroperating doors consisting of a plurality of sections ,hinged togetherand foldable with respect to one another. A 'A further object of myinvention is to provide a device of the character described that hasmeans for locking the door in closed position and for preventingrelative movement of the door sections until the locking mechanism hasbeen actuated to release the door.

vA further object of my invention is to proto. the wal vide a device ofthe character described in which the parts are arrangedl for movementwithout binding and with very little friction, if any. A further Vobjectof my inventionis to provide a device of the character described inwhich the/means for operatingV the door are arranged to connect with thelatter at a plurality of separated points whereby a balced constructionis produced.

A further object of my invention. is to provide a device of' thecharacter described that is relatively simple in construction andoperation, not likely to get out otl order easily, easy of operation,and thoroughly practical commercially. y

Other objects andi advantages will appear in tle followingspecification, and the novel features of the mvention will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' My invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, forming partof this ap-4 plication, in wlnch- Fig. 1 is a front view of a in theinvention, Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of i 1, y gig. 3 is'an enlarged detail of a fragmentay portion of the device, igures 4 and5 are enlarged details of a (see Fig.z1), and the plates 4 are securedby screws 5 or other suitable fastening means tothe upper sect1on 1 andproject above the same. These bars or plates are connected by hinges 6to a wa1l`7 in which an opening 8 is provided and normally lclosed bythe door. The lower section 2 is provided with brackets 9 or the likesecured thereto -by screws 10 to project laterally of the lower sectionadjacent its lower edge and these brackets carry wheels 11 each arrangedto move along a vertical rail 12 that is secured 7 in any suitablemanner as by means of `screws 13. Each rail consists of an Iangle ironpositioned with one leg thereof at right angles to the wall, therebypreventing lateral movement of the section 2 while permitting the latterto be moved upwardly about its hinged connections with the section 1.

-A horizontally disposed rock shaft 14 is j ournalled in bearings 15secured to the front side of the upper section 1 parallel with andadjacent to the lower end thereof..

The rock shaft 14 is fashioned with offset portions 16 and 17, theseportions being located in different planes oblique to the section 1. Apair of cables 18 are secured at one end to the offset portion lwhich isintermediate the ends of the rock shaft 14 and consequentl in thevertical median line of the door. 'Ihe cables 18 Aare passed around anidler sheave 19 that is carried by a hanger 20 suspended from a ceiling1 or other sup-' port, then around, a sheave 22 carried at the `end of ahanger 23, around a sheave 24,

around another sheave 25 that is carried by the hanger 23 adjacent toits connection at 26 to the ceiling 1, and are then merged into a pairof cables 8 and 29 which are preferably int-egral with the cables 18-18.The latter are conducted oppositely `around sheaves 30--30 throu h idesheaves 31-31 ownwardly for connection at 32-32 with the brackets 9.

The sheave 24 is journalled in a frame 33 that is'carried at the end ofa cable 34. The latter is passed around' and secured to a \thereoflmaybe readily understood.

drum supported on a stand 36 that is se-v shaft 14 in position tooccasion the engage-v ment of laterally turned lockingmembers 39-39 withkeepers 40-40 that are secured tothe angle arms l2 as at 41.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperatliilmie drum. 35 is adapted for connection with a suitable powerdevice (not shown) and may be rotated at will to occasion the winding.of the cable 34 thereon or the unwinding of the vsame cable therefrom.IVhen the drum 35 is actuated to wind the cable thereon, the sheave. 24will be moved inwardly or toward the drum, thereby exerting a tension onthe cables 18 at a point approxii'nately inid- Way between the sheaves22`fand 25. The tension or pull on -these cables is communicatedto thecables 28 and 29 which are secured to the lower end of the lower panel.2 of the door. In the beginning, thev pull is exerted in the plane ot'sections l and 2 and consequently the cables 28 and 29 will not be moveduntil the cables 18 have been moved sufficiently to rock the shaft 14',thereby causing the locking members 39-39 to dison the cables 18-18 and28 and 29,

-7 is somewhat Vlower section 2 so that the latter may be v movedintohorizontal engage the keepers 40 -40 and permitting the adjacent ends ofthe sections l and 2 of the door to be moved outwardly about theirhinged connections withone another. The force will then be distributedequally whereby the sections 1 and2 will be moved into the positionsindicated by the idotted lines in Fig. 2. Itis to be noted that thedistance from thelower edge of the upper panel 1 to the line of itsconnection with the wall greater than the height olithe i positionwithout any .bindlng resulting. When "it is desired to close the doors,the oweractuated drum 35 is operated to permit-.the unwinding of thecable 34 and the doors will close by avity.

The means illustrated and descriedfor locking the door in closedposition is that preferred by me particularly when vthe door is heavy inconstruction. Obviously, I may make use of other locking mechanisms,such as illustrated in the modified'fon-of the device shown inv Figures4 and 5. f In that embodiment of the invention, I provide a plate 51that is secured at 52 to'the -lower section 1 adjacent its yupper edge.The

'-plate 51 has integral upstanding lugs 53-53 integral with upturnedsides 59-59 and" tween. A cooperating plate 55 is secured at 56 to theupper section 1 in alinement larly in the appended claims.

a', lroller 54 is mounted for rotation therebe- 4(51. The latter ispassed beneath the rollers 54 and 58 and is normally maintained in theposition illustrated in Fig. 4 by a spring (32. "Ihe latter is disposedbetween Vu lug 03 integral with the plate 55 adjacent its upper end andthe'upper end of the locking bolt 61, whereby a tension is exerted onthe latter that tends 'to force the same downwardly along the guidewaOnly-one of the cables 18-18 is provi( ed and this` cable is secured toa lug 64 that is integral with the locking bolt 61.

The remaining parts of the modified form ol the device are identical inessential respects with the corresponding parts of the preferred form ofthedevice and therefore require no further description. The samereference numerals have been used for like parts throughout the severa-lviews. The operation of the modified form of the device will be readilyunderstood, since the stress yon the cables 18-18 and 28 and 29 is firstcommunicated along the cables 18-18 to the locking bolt 61. 'Ihe latteris moved from loc-king position and the sections 1 and 2 then permittedto move toward open position.k The pull on the cables 18-18 and 28 and29 will then be equalized until the sections l and 2 have been movedinto the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

While I have shown the vdevice as embodied ina door consisting ofvertically .alined sections adapted to be folded vin a andmodilicationsof the for-mot the device i described in :the accompanying. drawings maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdescribed.v

in the foregoing and outlined more particu- 1. 'Ihe combination with afolding. door consisting of a plurality of hingedly connected sections'arranged to be edgewise alined` inv a vertical plane when in closedposition of la Vhorizontally disposed rockl shaft secured to the uppersection of said door and being formed with locking members projectinglaterally of the door, cooperating locking members secured at oppositesides of the door in position to be engaged normally by the first namedlocking members to hold the .door against movement from closed position,cables connected to said rock shaft intermediately and to the lowersection of said door, and mean s, for operating said cables to releasethe door and to move the lsections thereof toward folded position.

2.' The combination with a folding door consisting of a plurality nectedsections arranged to be edgewise alined in a vertical'plane when inclosed position, of a horizontal rock shaft secured to the upper sectionof said door adjacent the lower edge thereof, and being formed withlocking members at the outer ends thereof,

vsaid rock*A shaft having a, lever portion inof hingedly con-4termediate its length extending'outwardly from said section, cooperatinglocking members secured to opposite sides of the door opening to beengaged normally by said first named-locking members, a cable connected.at one end to Said lever portion of said rock shaft, and at its otherend to the lower section of said door, and means for moving said cableintermediate its length, whereby a pull 20 will be exerted at .both endsthereof.

, JOHN E. -W.y FOGAL.'

